Brendan Smialowski/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Global antidoping leaders agreed unanimously on Monday to banish Russia from international sports — including next summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo — for four years, the latest and severest punishment yet connected to a yearslong cheating scheme that has tarnished global sport.
The World Anti-Doping Agency’s punishment means that Russia’s flag, name and anthem will not be allowed at the Tokyo Games, though athletes not implicated in doping could compete under a neutral flag. The agency also barred Russian sports and government officials from the Games and prohibited the country from hosting international events.